D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty was elected by a large majority of voters in all wards of the city with a clear mandate to fix the city’s failing public school system. So he brought in Teach for America whiz kid Michelle Rhee to challenge the status quo and stir things up. And stir she has.

Rhee is currently fighting a cage match with members of the Washington Teachers Union over her excellent two-tier proposal to reward teachers who agree to give up tenure and have their compensation tied to their classroom performance. Paychecks of teachers who voluntarily sign up for this “green tier” could increase to six figures, enhanced by privately donated cash bonuses that “red tier” teachers (who refuse to give up their seniority) won’t be eligible to receive. Under Rhee’s plan, each teacher decides whether to take a risk in anticipation of future rewards — or stick to the deal they already have.